Driver over limit for fourth time avoids jail

A tip-off to the police netted a man committing his fourth offence of drink-driving.

Michael Wilson was more than twice the limit when police stopped his car on East Park Drive on April 10 about 8pm after he left a pub and was swaying.

I can not express to you how close you were to a custodial sentence

Wilson, a 24-year-old groundworker, of Brockholes Crescent, Poulton, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol without insurance or a licence.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with up to 30 days’ rehabilitation to be supervised by the Probation Service, put on a 14 weeks curfew from 7pm to 7am, disqualified from driving for 46 months and ordered to pay £85 costs with £85 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Presiding magistrate, Neil Atkinson, told him: “I can not express to you how close you were to a custodial sentence.”